Shane Flanagan is an Australian professional rugby league football coach. He was appointed assistant coach of NRL team Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 2006 and was subsequently appointed to the top position when former coach Ricky Stuart

Ricky Stuart

Ricky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...

 resigned on 20 July 2010.

Flanagan played SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and President's Cup for St George Dragons before his NRL debut for St George in 1988. From 1989 to 1991, he played for Western Suburbs then moved to Parramatta from 1992 to 1994. He retired from playing football following a knee injury and was engaged to coach the Parramatta SG Ball team in 1997. He was assistant coach for the Sydney Roosters for two years alongside Stuart. He has coached the Australian Schoolboys, was assistant coach for Australia in 2007, and was assistant coach under Craig Bellamy of New South Wales

New South Wales rugby league team

The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...

 from 2007-2010.

In July 2010 Flanagan was installed as Sharks head coach following Ricky Stuart

Ricky Stuart

Ricky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...

's resignation with six weeks remaining in the 2010 season.

As head coach of the Cronulla Sharks, Flanagan lost his first three games mostly by small margins before a breakthrough win came against premiership contenders the Sydney Roosters

Sydney Roosters

The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...

 in round 23 of the 2010 season. The Sharks won 18-12. The Sharks won one more game in the 2010 season, against top-four team and Greg Bird

Greg Bird

Gregory Bird is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...

's new club the Gold Coast Titans

Gold Coast Titans

Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...

whose poor record at Cronulla continued.